Traditional decking consists essentially of wooden joists mounted on some sort of sub-frame, across which are laid wooden boards. The boards are usually slightly spaced apart, to allow rain to drain away between them. The boards are fastened in place by nails or screws passing through the boards and into the joists. Positioning the boards at the correct spacing, and evenly spaced so as to give a pleasing effect to the eye and to line up with the opposite edges of the deck, requires both skill and much time. Also, the screw heads visible in the surface of the boards are not pleasing to some people. More recently, synthetic or composite materials have been used for the boards in place of wood, but those do not affect the above-mentioned disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,621 to Camara et al. describes a system for spacing the boards of a deck. A strap is provided that has bars projecting from it at regular intervals. Several boards are laid loosely on the joists, and the strap is drawn tight with the spacer bars projecting down between the boards. That spaces the boards correctly, and they are then screwed into place in the old way. This is still very labor intensive and slow, and manipulating both the straps and several loose boards at the same time may not be easy for the inexperienced installer. Also, buying the straps, which are a reusable tool, may not be attractive for a homeowner who will only use them once.
Deck boards, wooden or composite, are also available with a groove or kerf along the narrow sides, which are the upright sides when the board is installed. These boards are used in combination with clips that fit between the boards. In one commercially available product, each clip has two wings that fit into the kerfs of the adjacent boards, and a middle part that sets the spacing between the boards. Each clip is set against the previous board, and fastened to the joists by a narrow-headed screw through the body of the clip. The next board is then set against the clip. These clips assist in spacing the boards evenly, and have the advantage that they are almost invisible when the deck is complete. However, installation may not be easy. Each screw must initially be set with the clip accurately held against the side of the previous board. Then, to ensure secure fastening, the screw must be tightened after both boards are in place. The screw head is at that stage in the gap between the boards, so the upper parts of the boards may foul the screwdriver. Removing a board may be possible, provided that the screw heads can be reached with a screwdriver, but would typically require loosening at least one board adjacent to the one being removed.
US 2014/0215944 to Husler describes a mounting system using connectors that extend along the boards. Similarly to the clips just mentioned, each connector has two wings that fit into the kerfs of the adjacent boards, and a middle part that sets the spacing between the boards. Each clip is set against the previous board, and fastened to the joists by a screw or nail through a bottom flange of the connector. The next board is then set against the clip. These connectors assist in spacing the boards evenly, and have the advantage that they are almost invisible when the deck is complete. However, care is still required to ensure that the connectors and boards are positioned snugly against one another, and it is not easy to replace a board in the middle of the deck, because the connectors cannot readily be released.
There is therefore still a need for better ways of installing deck boarding.